Kelley Armstrong

Book 5 in the women of the Otherworld series. This one can stand alone, but I recommend reading the entire series in order. A really good read.

From the back cover:
“The afterlife isn’t all it’s cracked up to be…

RATING:  Enjoyed more of the stories from this collection... probably 'cause there are more of some of my favourite authors in it.  On the whole I'd rate the book Excellent (4.0 stars).

FROM the BACK:
                WHAT NEWLY MARRIED COUPLE DOESN'T DREAM
              OF A ROMANTIC RETREAT WHERE THEY CAN ESCAPE
           FOR A WHILE ~ BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SUPERNATURAL
                       FORCES INTRUDE ON THEIR WEDDED BLISS?
Nine of today's hottest paranormal authors answer that question in this all-star collection of supernatural stories. 
*  Can a vampire-hunter enjoy her honeymooon after learning that her new hubby is a werewolf?  (Lilith Saintcrow's Half of Being Married) 3.5 stars
*  How can newlyweds focus on their wedding night when their honeymoon suite is haunted by feuding ghosts? (Katie MacAlister's Cat Got Your Tongue?) 4.0 stars
*  And what's a wizard do when a gruesome monster kidnaps the bride on her way home from the wedding?  (Jim Butcher's Heorot) 4.0 stars
     With so much otherworldly mayhem awaiting our newlyweds, will they ever get around to the honeymoon itself?  Find out in....My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon.

The Summoning

by Kelley Armstrong

(Doubleday Canada - July 2008)

Rating: Very Good

Series: Darkest Powers, book 1

I was a little disappointed by Armstrong's last book for adults, but her first young adult book more than made up for it.

Well I liked this book alright.  It's being written as a continuing series of books, so the ending felt a little unfinished.  The book is about a girl who finds out at the age of 15 (by accident) that she can see dead people.  Of course she's thought of as crazy and ends up and a teen home with other kids that have supernatural abilities.  The rest of the story is mainly about their breaking o

now that I'm back form vacation I'm adding these in for the counter but not taking the time to review any of them just now. That will have to come later. I haven't even unpacked yet. NFM

I'm so glad that one of the ladies in my reading group chose this book. At first, I thought I might not get into this because of the reality television aspect of the book. As I kept reading, I became more absorbed in the story and how necromancer Jaime Vegas had to figure out how to release some trapped spirits in the garden while trying to find out who was responsible.

      Great continuation of the series... finally glad to get more of Jaime's story and this one was excellent!  The issue of human sacrifice was somewhat jarring, but it fit the story.  Definitely as the series progresses we're finding that the issues that our heroines and heroes are dealing with are getting somewhat grittier, but it all fits.  IMHO Kelley Armstrong is a fantastic author and I LOVE her Women of the Otherworld series.  The characters, male and female, good and evil, alive and not, are fascinating... and REAL!  The touches of romance are wonderful, sometimes there's more of a complete romance than others, but everything is continually evolving ~ characters, relationships, romances... Fabulous!   VERY, VERY, VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

RATING:
Excellence: Excellent to Outstanding ~ 4.5 stars
Steaminess: Sensual to Yummy

     I don't know if it's because Elena, Clay and Jeremy were my introductory characters into Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series or not, but the more I read of Jeremy Danvers and his pack, the more I love them.  And Elena and Clay make, to me, a great couple and the further into the series the closer they get.  Clay especially just really, really gets me everytime.  He is totally devoted to both his Alpha, Jeremy, and his mate, Elena and he's probably more wolf than any of the other born werewolves.  His story has always been told in dribs and drabs with every bit making me love him more and more.  Not that I think that Clay would EVER be my hero ~ unless I was Elena of course ~ but his attachment to those in his world is absolute.  And even though each of the stories is told from the viewpoint of one of the supernatural women in the series ~ werewolf, witch, shade and necromancer ~ there is excellent detail into the backgrounds as well as the men that are part of their lives.  If you haven't read any of Kelley Armstrong's books, check them out.  They are very much of the Urban Fantasy genre, with a splash of romance; yes there is a romance in each story, but the focus is on the women and the adventures in which they get caught up.   VERY, VERY, VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

RATING:
Excellence: Outstanding ~ 5 stars
Steaminess: Sensual to Yummy

     Wow!  This story was fairly different ~ mostly because Eve was a ghost and then there was the whole hell thing ~ where the really bad supernaturals went when they died.  'Cause the afterworld for the supernaturals is not the afterworld for humans... good that they kept them apart, because even there the humans don't have any comparable abilities.  And the Nix... hoo boy... that was one nasty demi-demon; good thing that Eve had not only angel help, but Kristofer Nast, Savannah's father and Eve's one love, is also on hand. 
   While there is some romance, these stories are primarily paranormal adventures with a hefty dose of suspense thrown in... then there was the hell for supernatural serial killers... ugh!
  Another excellent story in Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series.  If you enjoy taut thrillers, paranormal stories and a host of supernatural beings, this is definitely a story for you... but, really, it's better to read this book in order.  VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

RATING:
Excellence: Excellent ~ 4.0 stars
Steaminess: Romantic to barely Sensual

     In this story, Paige and Lucas are facing Industrial-like magical problems rather than the dime-store-like magical problems from the last book.  That is to say, the severity of what's going on is multiplied a few times over... and last time they barely survived!
     This time they've had to work more closely with a necromancer who has her own "Spiritualist" show and is quite famous... and it looks as though they're going to be working much, much more closely with not only the Cortez Cabal, but also the others.  Fun? Not so much... full of tension, hair-curling action and a nasty, supernatural, serial killer Paige and Lucas have their work cut out for them.  A very difficult book to put down ~ VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

RATING:
Excellence: Excellent ~ 4.0 stars
Steaminess: Romantic to Sensual